Jackson, Miss. - Donovan Scott Flaherty, 28, of Brandon, pled guilty today before U.S. District Judge Henry T. Wingate to being a felon in possession of a firearm, announced U.S. Attorney Mike Hurst and Special Agent in Charge Dana Nichols with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
On Jan. 16, 2018, Jackson Police officers were dispatched to the intersection of Prentiss Street and Capers Avenue in Jackson. Flaherty had arrived at the location as a passenger in a truck. Following interaction with the officers, Flaherty was taken into custody for being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. Flaherty had prior felony convictions in Rankin County for grand larceny and auto burglary in 2011, and for grand larceny in 2016.
Flaherty will be sentenced by Judge Wingate on March 15, 2019, at 9:30 a.m. He faces a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Jackson Police Department investigated the case. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Lynn Murray.
This case is part of Project EJECT, an initiative by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Mississippi under the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN). EJECT is a holistic, multi-disciplinary approach to fighting and reducing violent crime in Jackson through prosecution, prevention, re-entry and awareness. EJECT stands for "Empower Jackson Expel Crime Together." PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. Former Attorney General Jeff Sessions reinvigorated PSN in 2017 as part of the Department’s renewed focus on targeting violent criminals, directing all U.S. Attorney’s Offices to work in partnership with federal, state, local, and tribal law enforcement and the local community to develop effective, locally-based strategies to reduce violent crime.
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Office of the United States Attorneys
